Shaft and tongue releasing attachment for vehicles.



P. B. STEVENS. SHAFT AND TONGUE RELEASING ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1912.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

wi meooeo To all whom, it may concern i ings in which,

PAUL B. STEVENS, 0F GVILLE, NORTH DAKOTA.

SHAFT AND ronsun annna'sme ATTACHMENT ror. vniaiicLns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

Application filed May 23, 1212. Serial No. 699,270.

Be it known that 1,.PAUL B. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granville, in the county of -McHenry and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Shaft and Ton'gue Releasing tta'chments for Ve hicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom panying drawings.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement-in a pole releasing attachment for vehicles which is adapted to besocon: structed. that the driver may release the team from the vehicle should the-draft animals become beyond control. Y

tion is to provide a device of this character by which the driver may operate the same and which when released Will guide the -ve-' hicle in a straight course to prevent it from overturning after the team has been released. A further object ofthe present invention is to provide a releasing mechanism upon,

this invention consists of novel details of construction, combination, formation and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and particularly ,pointed out in the appended. draw- Figure l is a plan view of the forward portion of the running gear of a vehicle having my invention as applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation 'of a portion of the vehicle illustrating my'i-nvention as applied thereto; Fig. 3 is a detail septional view through the guide track; and Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the releasing rod..

Reference now being had to the acc'om: panying drawings wherein. corresponding parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the ordinary running gear of a vehicle having secured thereto in the usual manner the forward turning axle 11. The tongue-12 to' which the usual draft animals are applied is connected to the forward axle hereinafter as by means of thill couplings 13. Each of these thill couplings comprises a clip secured to the axle having a bearing formed thereon which is adapted to register with eyelets formed on the clip secured tothe inner ends of the pole. A pair of laterally sliding rods 14 are slidably mounted withinrbearin'gs 15 which are secured to'the forward" axle by means of the clips 16. The outerextremities I of each of these'rods areadapted toenter.

the thill couplings for securely holding the tongue attachment to the running gear :of the vehicle.

' To provide means for releasing the rods 14 so"that' the tongue maybe readily released. D from the running gear of the vehicle, .a The primary ob ect of the present l-IIVQlI-z' crank shaft 18 is journaled in a bearing upon the inner face of the front axle; the innerj ends of theserods are flexibly. connectedrto this crank shaft as shown.- This crank shaft is connected to a vertically extendingshaft 17 by means of, a link 17 so that when the crank is rotated. it will draw: the 'rods 14 inwardly and thereby release the same. from .the thill couplings] This rod 17 is. supported upon/the semi-circular guide. track 19 whichis secured at its extremities by means ofclips 20- to theaxle' and extending\rearwardly therefrom in a horizontal plane I tapere slot 21 in which'is slidably mounted This guide track'Yis-provided. with a a block\22 of, similar construction.This.-

block 22 is provided witha circular aperturein which the lower extremity of the rod 17 is adapted to rotate and the ofiset portion of the rod holds this block within the guide track while a shoulder 23 mounted 'upon this rod rests upon the upper face of the. track. It

is obvious from this construction that this.

guide track will support the turning rod 17 andqa't the same ti'me'permit the forwarda'xle'to' rotate in'guiding the vehicle without releasing running gear.

Secured. upon the inner faceof the dash the pole attachment from the 'board'of the body of the vehicle is areleas ing crank 24 having a handle 25 by which thedriver may operate the same and which is supported in suitable bearin s 26 mounte'd upon the dash board... T is releasing crank 24 is provided with a'squared recess in its lowe'r'pontion which is adapted to be inserted over the squared upper portion of the rod 17 thereby providing a slidable connection between the two rods which will ning gear 1 provide guide members which connect the axle with the reach bar of the running gear. These guide members each comprise a pair of rods 27 and 28 respectively which are adjustably connected at their inner ends by means of a coil spring 29. The rods 28 are connected adjacent the outer ends to the axle by means of clips 30 whereas the opposite rods 27 are connected to the reach bar of the running gear by means of a clip 31. It will be seen from this construction that when the draftattachment has been released from the-rum ning gear, the coil springs 29 will hold the axle. in its normal position thereby permitting the vehicle to take a straight course. The inner ends'of each of the rods 2'? and 28 are threaded and have mounted thereon caps 32. The threaded ends of these rods are inserted into the coil springs 29 and the caps 32 obviously provide means for securing the springs to the rods, and .it is apparent that by adjusting these caps the tension of the coil springs can be increased. or diminished, as desired.

lt is obvious from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that when the draft animals become beyond control of the driver he may turn the handle 25 thereby drawing inwardly on the rods 14: which will release the thill couplings thereby releasing the draft animale from the vehicle and as the same are released the springs mounted on the guide rods will normally retain the axle so that thevehicle will travel in aforward direction. By mounting the rod within the guide track it will be further apparent that the forward axle may rotate in guiding the vehicle without interfering with thereleasin mechanism and thereby providing a suitable support therefor.

While T have illustrated a specific embodiment of the present invention it is of course to be understood that other minor details of construction and changes as to eaner a formand operation may-be resorted to that come within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

What ll claim is 1. ln a device of the class described, the

combination. of a vehicle, of a turning axle 2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a vehicle frame, of a turn ing axle mounted thereon, of a semi-circular guide track secured to said axle, extend ing 'rearwardly therefrom in a horizontal plane, a tapered block slidably mounted within said track, a rod slidably mounted within said block, means mounted on said rod supporting said block within said track, means connecting the lower end of said rod for ireleasing the tongue attachment from the vehicle frame, and a vehicle body slidably mounted upon the upper end of said rod substantially as described.

3. llna device of the character described, the combination of'a vehicle, of a turning axle mounted thereon, a semicircular guide track secured at its extremities to the said axle and extending rearwardly therefrom in a horizontal plane, said track having a tapered slot formed therein, a block slidably mounted within said slot, a vertically extending rod rotatably mounted at one end within said block, means for connecting the pole attachment with the axle, a crank shaft journaled upon the inner face of the axle, means for connecting said crank shaft with the pole attaching means, a link connecting said crank shaft with the lower extremity of said vertically extending rod, and means connected to the oppositeextremity of said rod for operating the same substantially as described.

Tn testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL B. STEVENS. Witnesses:

HIRAM l5. .Hmns, Gnannns 

